Duke forward Mason Plumlee (5) dunks against Kentucky during the first half of the 2012 Champions Classic on Tuesday in Atlanta. / Daniel Shirey, US Presswire

by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports

by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports

ATLANTA -- Kentucky coach John Calipari has been saying the same thing for months: This year's Kentucky team is not the same as last year's.

Yet some college basketball fans wanted to pretend. They thought because Calipari brought in another top recruiting class, a return trip to the national championship game was all but assured.

As the third-ranked Wildcats learned in their 75-68 loss to No. 9 Duke on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic at the Georgia Dome,they shouldn't book flights back here for the Final Four anytime soon.

That's not to say Kentucky can't make it, but rather that the Wildcats will need a lot of work - and some luck - to do it. It's only November, but it's safe to say this Kentucky team is not the same as last year's and, well, experience matters in close, high-profile games.

Duke guard Seth Curry led all players with 23 points, including six in the game's final two minutes, four seconds. Mason Plumlee called Curry the team's "closer" after the game. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said the fact that Curry is a fifth-year senior "has to help" in pressure situations.

Kentucky doesn't have a Curry. It has three freshmen, a sophomore and a transfer as its starting lineup.

"We're still trying to figure out our team," Calipari said after Tuesday's game. "This is all new to this team. We don't play hard enough yet. We don't compete on every possession yet. We don't go after every rebound yet. We don't know how to finish off games yet.

"It's just going to take time."

On Tuesday, there were certainly flashes of high-level talent, particularly in the play of Alex Poythress, scored 20 points and had a few monster dunks. Calipari called Poythress a "beast."

"That's what he needed to look like," Calipari said. "I don't want to see any of the cute stuff. Get the ball by the guy and dunk on somebody. And he did it."

But Nerlens Noel is not national player of the year Anthony Davis, though he has a unique feature that Kentucky fans adore - his high-top fade with UK shaved into the back of his head, as beloved as Davis' unibrow. And there's still no veteran presence on this team, like it had last year with senior Darius Miller and experienced sophomores Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones.

Kentucky is also missing a true point guard, as North Carolina State transfer Ryan Harrow missed Tuesday night's game due to an illness. Archie Goodwin filled in at the point and likely learned a great deal, but he couldn't quite take over late in the game like Michigan State's point guard Keith Appling did in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader. And though Calipari said the team missed Harrow on Tuesday, he also highlighted positives in Goodwin's play.

"He reminds me a little of Tyreke (Evans) when I first started with him," Calipari said. "He doesn't always make the right decision, but he can break you down and score. â?¦ He's got to learn the position, and he had to do it against Duke on national television."

Krzyzewski was impressed, too, saying Goodwin is "going to be a star."

There's plenty of time for Kentucky to grow. Calipari will try to get these players to play unselfishly and improve defensively, like he always does. But it's time to stop comparing them to last year's team, just like Calipari suggested all summer.

"This game helped us," Calipari said. "We're a November team right now, and we have to get better. If this is what we look like in January or February, we're not going to be the team everybody thinks."